Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Program

The ACE program is an accelerated BSN program for individuals already holding a BS/BA
in any field from an accredited college or university who wish to enter the nursing
profession. The intensive program allows qualified individuals to complete the nursing
coursework in 12 consecutive months.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by year 2012, one million more registered
nurses will be needed in the United States. An analysis of nursing workforce needs
at the state level indicates that Connecticut will be one of the states that will
experience the worst shortages unless actions are taken to remedy the situation. In
fact, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects that by 2010,
Connecticut nursing workforce will be 33% short of what is needed and by 2020 that
number will increase to 57% (Connecticut League for Nursing, 2005).

In order to meet this demand, many colleges and universities across the nation have
developed accelerated BSN programs for students with baccalaureate degrees in other
fields to increase access for people desiring a change in career later in life, and
allow faster entry into the workforce. In fact, according to the American Association
of Colleges of Nursing (2005) there are 168 accelerated BSN programs in existence,
with 46 more in the planning stages.

While Connecticut has several of these programs, none are located within the state
university system, limiting program choice options for students who want a quality
program at a reasonable price. The undergraduate nursing program at SCSU is recognized
as a high quality program. Our NCLEX pass rates have been mostly between 90-100% over
nearly three decades and employers readily hire and confirm the quality of our new
graduates. Many curricular changes have been implemented during the last several years
to improve the quality of our instruction and better prepare students for the realities
of practice.

Advantages of the ACE Program

The nursing curriculum can be completed in just 12 months (excluding nursing prerequisites).

The ACE program is based on the same curriculum as SCSU's highly successful and nationally
accredited traditional nursing program.

There are opportunities to learn with other highly motivated, adult learners with
rich life and work experiences.

We offer small class size and affordable tuition.

Our faculty are dedicated to working with this unique population.

Admission

The application period for the 2019-2020 ACE Cohort is now closed. All documentation
for current applicants is required by January 2nd, 2019. Applicants can expect an
admissions decision no later than April 1, 2019. Summer 2020-2021 ACE Cohort applications
will open on from April 15th, 2019 through October 1, 2019.

Items to remember:

We have stopped accepting new applications as of October 1, 2018. You do not have to have a completed application at that time but you must have a
conferred degree and submitted the online application by this date. There is no rolling
admissions.

You are not required to have a completed essay or completed all the prerequisites
by October 1. You may be in the process of completing final prerequisites during the
Fall 2018 semester. However, all prerequisites must be complete with a C+ or greater by the conclusion of the Fall
2018 semester (December) and proper documentation must be provided by January 2, 2019. CLEP examination scores must be received by January 2, 2019.

There is a required essay portion of the application, and applicants must also complete
the Checklist and Prerequisite Form. Failure to upload and submit your essay and Checklist
Form will result in an incomplete application. This is due from current applicants
by January 2, 2019. Please complete the essay by viewing A Day in the Life: Laurie (ER Nurse).

Official transcripts from ALL post-secondary schools attended MUST be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office by January 2, 2019. High School transcripts and SAT/ACT scores are not required. Resumes and recommendation/reference letters will not be accepted.

DO NOT complete a Graduate Program application. This is an Undergraduate Program.

Students may not apply to both the ACE and Traditional BSN program at the same time.

To be considered for the 2019-2020 ACE Cohort, applicants must meet the following
requirements:

Essay completion and submission to your online application portal. Essay criteria
can be found in the Welcome Letter once your application has been submitted.

Completion of the required prerequisites, outlined below, with a C+ or greater (by
the end of Fall 2018). Official transcripts must be submitted to the Undergraduate
Admissions Office (no later than January 2, 2019). Any outstanding or incomplete items
after the Fall 2018 semester will result in an incomplete application and will not
be considered for admission.

With only 30-36 students being accepted into the program each year, admission is competitive
and qualified students may not be accepted because of limited Department of Nursing
resources and clinical placements. The Department of Nursing admission committee members
will evaluate the overall academic record and select candidates whose academic qualifications
present the greatest potential for program success. We cannot accept applications
from applicants who have been dismissed from other nursing programs. If you have been
previously enrolled in another nursing program should complete the Disclosure Form as part of their application. Beginning in the next application cycle (Cohort 2020-2021),
applicants will not be allowed to apply if they have more than 2 earned grades lower
than a C+ for any of the required nursing prerequisite courses.

Students applying to the ACE program should understand that, if accepted, they will
need to follow the ACE program's plan of study and required course sequencing. Accepted
students are required to adhere to clinical health requirements, department policies
and procedures, maintain health insurance, and more. Students are advised to refer
to the Student Policies Governing Academic and Professional Responsibilities of Undergraduate
Programs in Nursing (2017).

Transfer of Credits and Prerequisite Course Requirements

SCSU does not have a limit on the number of credits that you may transfer into the
university. The university currently does not have an expiration date on any of the
below required prerequisites.

Below is a list of required prerequisite courses and their CT Community College equivalencies.
All eight must be successfully completed, each with a grade of a C+ or higher. Online
science courses are not accepted as equivalents. Official transcripts must be submitted
to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for consideration to the Summer 2019 cohort.
(Place an application during the designated application dates before you begin submitting
documentation.)

SCSU

CT CC Equivalency

Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 200) [Formerly BIO110]

Biology 211

Anatomy & Physiology II (BIO 201) [Formerly BIO111]

Biology 212

Microbiology (BIO 120)

Biology 235

Math for Natural Sciences (MAT 108)*

*May be substituted by MAT120, MAT122, or MAT150

Math 142*

*MAT172, MAT186, or MAT254

Elementary Statistics (MAT 107)

Math 167

General Chemistry (CHE 120)

Chemistry 121

General Psychology (PSY 100)

Psychology 111

Life Span Development (PSY 219)

Psychology 201

If you have taken courses at another college or university within the state of Connecticut,
please use the Transfer Articulation Request Tool to search for course equivalencies from most CT colleges and universities. Beginning
in the next application cycle (Cohort 2020-2021), applicants will not be allowed to
apply if they have more than 2 earned grades lower than a C+ for any of the required
nursing prerequisite courses.

Plan of Study

Summer Session C - Begin Program

NUR 350 (2cr.): Therapeutic Nutrition

NUR 351 (2cr.): Nursing Research

Fall

NUR 340 (3cr): Theoretical Foundations of Professional Nursing

NUR 341 (3cr.): Health Assessment

NUR 342 (3cr.): Evidence Based Nursing Interventions

NUR 343 (3cr.): Integrated Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I

NUR 344 (2cr.): Gerontological Nursing

Winter Sessions

Nursing Electives (1cr/course): Two required

Spring

NUR 352 (4cr.): Adult Health Nursing

NUR 353 (3cr.): Integrated Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II

NUR 354 (3cr.): Mental Health Nursing

NUR 430 (3cr.): The Childbearing Family

NUR431 (3cr.): The Childrearing Family

Summer A

NUR 432 (4cr.): Adult Response to Complex Stressors

NUR 442 (3cr.): Community Health Nursing

NUR 433 (3cr.): Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice Across the Life Span